Punto de Gravel

Just to the north of Washington National Airport, there is a little park. It has a boat ramp, a small parking lot, and some ball fields. The Mount Vernon bicycle trail runs through it. It's called gravelly point, and if you like to do planespotting, it's the place to do so around Washington.

After 9-11, I really thought the Park Service would close this place down. The airplanes fly so low over the park that I swear I could hit one with a good nine-iron shot. Well, that is, if I hit a good nine-iron shot... with a decent lens, you can read the serial numbers stamped onto the landing gear.



The shot above was made with a 300mm lens on a Nikon D1, so it's about the equivalent of 420mm in 35mm.

Years ago, I'd stand directly under the flight path, the MD-80's and 737's rushing overhead. After the airplane would pass, there was a swirling, "wooshing" sound. I think it's the superheated air cooling after the jet engines pass by, but I'm not sure. We called it "The Quickening," as in the film Highlander. Geeky, yeah, but there you are.

Now, even after all the times I've lugged camera and video gear to Gravelly Point, I've never gotten a truly interesting shot. This one, shot in the Netherland Antilles by Justin Cederholm, is pretty darn impressive...



This photo, and many other great airplane shots, can be found at Airliners.net